1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanisms for indicating the condition and position of a switch operator which operates an associated high voltage switch and for indicating the position of the high voltage switch being operated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically in the prior art, the position of manually operated switches could be ascertained visually and externally from the equipment enclosure by the position occupied by the external operating handle which corresponded to the open or closed position of the interrupter switch. However, with respect to switch operators (switch operating mechanisms) of the type described in the pending patent application entitled "HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM", Ser. No. 911,123 filed May 31, 1978, and the pending patent application entitled "SWITCH OPERATOR UNCOUPLING MECHANISM", Ser. No. 911,124 filed May 31, 1978, both of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is no unique handle or lever position on the external control panel of the switch operator to indicate by its position the open or closed position of the high voltage switch or the position of the switch operating mechanism or the charged or discharged condition of the switch operating mechansim within the equipment enclosure. A switch operating mechanism of the type described in the above-referenced patent applications can be exercised without changing the position of the high voltage switch, and consequently, the " switch-open" or "switch-closed" position of the switch operating mechanism does not necessarily correspond to the position of the high voltage switch. With switch operators of the type described in the above-referenced patent applications, the switch operator cannot be coupled to the assembly which drives the high voltage switch between the open and closed positions unless the position of the switch operator ("switch open" or "switch closed") corresponds to the position of the high voltage switch ("open" or "closed"). Therefore, after the switch operator has been uncoupled from the high voltage switch by withdrawing it from the equipment enclosure, it may be necessary to operate the switch operator before recoupling to cause the position of its output shaft to correspond to the position of the high voltage switch. Furthermore, with motor-operated switches that can be tripped remotely, it is preferable not to have an external operating handle rapidly change from one position to another in response to the tripping of the high voltage switch.
Therefore, it would be a desirable advance in the art to provide a mechanism for visually indicating, externally to the equipment enclosure, the switch-open or switch-closed position of the high voltage switch as well as the "switch-open" or "switch-closed" position of, and the charged or discharged condition of, the switch operator.